getting 2 russian blues

tigger

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I will be getting 2 Russian Blue kittens in just a few weeks. Please do not yell or harp on me, but I will be picking them up when they are around 5 1/2 weeks (week of march 11). The breeder is going to be calling me tonight with details. I am also going to ask her why she's getting rid of them so early. She is getting rid of them @ 6 weeks, but I asked for a week early just because I will be off for 2 full weeks. This way I will be able to be there with them to feed them, etc. Is there any advice for me? I plan on keeping the little guys in our bathroom while we are gone from home away at work until they are old enough to run around without hurting themselves.
 

Anne

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Hi Tigger, are these the kittens that are sold for 75$ each? Did you find out why she sells them for that price?

Did you visit her and get a chance to see the parents and the place in general? If it is the same breeder, than it really begins to sound fishy...

Is there anyway you can get her to keep the kittens for a few more weeks? It's not that they won't survive at this age, it's just that it's better for their mental health. At lease they'll have each other.
 
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tigger

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anne,

Yes, those are the kittens. She sent me pictures of the mom cat & babies. THey look identical to Russian Blue cats. Supposedly, the only reason why she is selling them at this price is because she is new to breeding. What if she doesn't even really know how much they are being sold for and then she charges me full price...... that is why I am kind of hesitant of asking her. I will ask her if they are purebred Russians. I really don't see why someone would say they have a purebred when they really don't, especially at a price like that? That would make the person look really bad. It could just be that she doesn't have papers on them? Wouldn't that knock their value way down?
 

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Tigger,

The old rule of thumb is "If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is." I would definitely question it. Usually if they come with papers, the price would be higher. Anyone that goes into breeding is smart enough to do their homework on price, breed, etc. Sandie, want to step in here?

Kittens that are taken away too early from their mother can (I say CAN because it is not necessarily the rule) have psychological problems later on in life. It can also cause litterbox problems, sucking or chewing on clothes or their humans.

[Edited by donna on 02-21-2001 at 05:12 PM]
 
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tigger

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I called my vet & they said it would be ok as long as they are weaned from Mom........

Another thing about the price: how would I go about asking her why she's selling them for that much? I don't want to be upfront & say 'hey, you know, they are going for $500!' Because then how do I know she won't turn around and charge me the full price!? I do plan on asking if they are full-blooded Russians.
 

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Well Tigger, you asked not to harp but I really am concerned about this woman and her cats. I AM a breeder and I do not over charge. I ALWAYS keep my kittens with mom until minimum 10 weeks. I have a baby right now who does not want to eat solid food yet and she is 5 weeks old. They need this time with mom to learn and explore. The only logical explanation I have is that dad is not a russian blue, she does not want to pay for medical care,or she does not know what the hell she is doing. First thing is that a responsable breeder would NEVER sell a kitten of high standard for that amount..she better know how much they cost or where did she get hers let alone how much did she pay. I am sorry I get so damn mad because of people who call themselves breeders and make us who are responsable and take care of our cats look like crap!!
Okay...soooooo you have my oppinion. If you do get the kittnes, I would look at is as a rescue. I would not count on getting pure breed Russian Blues. I also wanted to ask you if you know what color their eyes are?? If they are not green....They are NOT pure breed. As for asking her, just ask how much she paid for her breeder.
 

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Maybe you can ask her things like if she has papers for the parents (if not for the kittens), is she a member of any cat association (and check her out on that one). Another thing you could do is ask her to fax you a copy of the contract and see what she has in there. I'm not a breeder and never bought purebred cats, but I think that most contracts have stuff about the health condition of the mother and something about taking back/replacing the cats if there are any genetic health problems.

Like Sandie says, even if she gives them away for free it's still important to rescue them. Sounds like this lady may not be very choosy and sell them to people who may declaw them or not neuter. I'm sure they can make wonderful cats, papers or not. The only problem I have with that is that it might encourage this lady to continue with any backyard breeding she's doing.

Just my 2 cents.
 
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tigger

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I talked to her last night and had a lot of questions. I asked why she was selling them for that price. It's because she doesn't have the papers on them. I told her that I've seen breedrs selling them for quite a bit of money and she was fully aware of that I asked if they were healthy, etc. and she said yes...... eating and growing very quickly. Parents up to date on shots. Another thing that I thought was good of her to ask, was if I had had any cats before.

What is backyard breeding? Breeding with other types of cats?
 

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Backyard breeding is when they breed a non certified or pedigreed cat with whatever they want. They do this to avoid any of the cost with maintaining a healthy community of cats. When you breed like this, it is for the soul purpose of making a quick buck.
Dont be to quick to think she was concerned about you having cats before. She may have wanted to know how much you knew about cats and breeders.
As for the vaccines, without proof she may be full of crap. If she sais she vaccinates at home, you may not want to beleive her. I will give the feline distemper at home, but I also buy the single doses so that I have the label with serial # for proof.
Whatever your decision, make sure and quarantine them in a seperate room. They will be too young and very vulnerable to viruses. Also, you dont know what this womans house has. You dont want to put your cat at risk either.
 
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